Nobody Dies: Point Of Divergence
by K9 the First
Summary: Spoilers for Chs 68/69  How our lives play out often depends on how we react to trials. In one reality, Kei Ayanami stayed and chose reconciliation. Here, she ran away, and was worse off for it.
1. I Must Run Away

**Point Of Divergence**

**K9: The First**

**Somewhere in the bowels of NERV**

The air was cold.

The floors were cold.

The walls were cold.

Her own _sisters_ were cold.

Kei was cold.

And she wanted out.

The phone Kiko had given her lay in pieces on the floor, but Kei remembered the message its cracked screen once had: the schematic summary of Operation JUDAS, Scenario 230,001. The _perfected _scenario, the one where she got everything she ever wanted, where she finally wiped NERV, and her family, off the face of the map and conquered the world.

The one that made her cry, and gave her nightmares.

And now the one that was hammering the final nails in the coffin for Kei's life here in Tokyo-3, one of her own creations, born from the drive to perfection she craved, seeking a path Kei learned she could not take and abandoned. Was this what Doctor Victor Frankenstein felt? As his modern Pygmalion went on a vengeful rampage for love in an uncaring world?

A part of Kei's analytical psyche realized that Chairman Kiel was behind this. She would not be so clichéd as to call her scenario "Everybody Dies." That was childish and obvious, and easily figured out. And given the convenient timing of Kei mysteriously receiving the origins of Ichi, it made sense that the man orchestrated this whole sick situation, either as punishment for betraying him at New Vegas, or possibly just as a Dead Man's Gambit in wake of his recent removal from control to take the world with him. Either way, too many secrets were out, and her past experiment that she now wished to remain buried and forgotten cemented the fact that Kei could no longer call this place home, if it ever really was.

But that was neither here nor there right now. Cheek still stinging from Kiko's slap, Kei addressed the elephant that this turn of events uncovered.

"I can see. I see, now. You were all quick to believe that I was a monster. Weren't you?"

And it _was_ true, wasn't it? A suspiciously sudden document comes in suggesting she was building a situation of horrible intent and they were all ready to wipe her out? No questions? No denial that their own _sister_ could possibly make this? For all they knew it was some sick joke, or a frame job. But no. Kei has always been the _odd_ one. The one that tried to be _borrr~rrring_ on purpose. Something is simply _wrong_ with her, and we must be willing to take her down on a moment's notice.

Fine then. The Greeks believed that Fate and Destiny were unavoidable, that the word of the Oracle could never be averted, not even by the gods.

Still, many, god and mortal alike tried, oh how they tried to escape fate. Chronos, Laius, Acrisus, all told that they would be killed by their children, and so sought to kill them. But soon enough the fate they sought to avoid came to pass, because the children sought vengeance on their infanticidal fathers. Zeus, Oedipus, Perseus, all killed their fathers, who had tried to kill them.

The rest of The Ree wanted a murderously insane sister? Very well. And she would be their own creation.

"Fine, then I'll be your monster."

And with a flick of her AT-Field enhanced wrist, the Ree were sent flying in all directions.

For a fraction of a second, Kei contemplated finishing them off with a positron blast, and immediately after that she felt the weight of guilt in her chest. She couldn't do it. What she could do in a simulation she wouldn't be able to in real life.

But then, why _should_ she go about this? Is that not what her Black and White morality sisters _wanted?_ What they _expected_ from her? No. No, Kei Ayanami would _not_ be controlled by what her sisters, what Mother-no, what _Yui_-wanted. Away. She had to get away. Let her siblings quake in fear every hour at the slightest squeak, let them shoot at empty shadows, let them seek out plots that were not there for the rest of their lives. Kei was done with these games, with _them_. Let them stand confused at Kei's horrifyingly irrational actions as she _doesn't_ attack them. _That_ will be her revenge: not murder, but life.

And in that fraction of a second, lives, history, _destinies themselves_ were changed. Where in one Kei remained for better or worse, here she took a retreat, and blasted upwards for the Geofront.

When she broke through the soil, Kei barely avoided being crushed by Zeruel as both he and Unit-02 fell to the Geofront floor. As Zwei began beating on the Angel of Might, said Angel managed to wrap tendrils around the crimson Evangelion and toss him to the roof with the assistance of twin optic blasts. As Zwei fell, Zeruel finally noticed the tiny blue-haired girl beside him.

**"So. **_**You**_** are the Succubus who turned the traitorous Tabris against us. I shall remove your tempting influence, so that I may not have to kill him after all."**

Kei was about simply leave the titans to their fight, but the Angel of Might's remark about 'traitors' hit what was at the moment a very, _very_ sore spot for the Rogue Ree, and thus she could not let it stand. In normal circumstances, Kei would have made a strategic withdrawal at Zeruel's now glowing eyes, but reflexes and emotions tend to cloud split judgments, and so she didn't. Instead, she deployed her AT-Field.

At that moment in Central Dogma, alarms rang out about another, unaccounted for Pattern Blue, the strongest ever recorded, that blocked out everything from light to subatomic particles and beyond. And above them in the Geofront, Unit-02 was slammed into the far wall of the 'front, while Zeruel was revoked of all movement via being stuck in between multiple layers in the Field's phase space.

Instantly, Kei charged up a positron attack around her fist, and flew straight for the Angel of Might's grimacing façade, and struck a mighty blow between the eye-holes.

And Zeruel fell like a glass-jawed Fainting Goat, oddly colored blood flowing from his maw.

Kei then flew from the Geofront, heading for the Ikari residence. Zeruel may have been down, but was yet to be out, already he was reawakening, and the forces of NERV would most assuredly use the opening for all its worth. Zwei and Uri were already standing, and Unit-00 and Mari were already at the surface.

Once she arrived at the Ikari apartments, Kei worked at superspeed. Her sisters may be restrained to Sheol by the presence of the Angel, but Rei wasn't, and would show up at any time. Grabbing an overnight bag, Kei quickly selected a few extra outfits and toiletries. When done, she sped for the door, stopping at the sight of a family portrait of the Ikari family: Gendo, Yui and Rei, with a school photo of Shinji hung lovingly nearby.

None of her, or the others, after all: why should Yui bother with pictures of the other _replacements_ if there's already one outside? Now it all made sense.

Without thinking, Kei punched the portrait, cracking the glass above Yui's face, then quickly grabbed a marker and wrote '_F_ you Yui!_' in Japanese, German, French, Spanish, English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Morse Code, pictograms of all versions of Sign Language and Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics all over the wall.

If was overly emotional, it wasn't rational, it accomplished nothing. And Kei didn't care.

As soon as it was done, Kei grabbed her bag and flew off, achieving Mach twelve by the time she hit the Sea of Japan heading west.

She had to get away.

Her AT-Field protected her from the normal detrimental effects of an exposed body flying at such speeds, but as the smoking Chinese landscape passed under her, Kei found that her lips seemed to have decided to stiffen in an upwards direction against her will, that her eyes stung, and that breathing became somewhat difficult. As she flew through the remains of the Himalayas, dodging fiery debris that was once Mount Everest just now falling from orbit, her mind began to finally reflect on the day's events.

The documents were above Throne clearance, and because she was suspicious of their source, and disturbed at what they could _mean_ she looked through the MAGI, to find that the information they contained was one-hundred percent accurate.

Ichi was the soul of Rei Ikari, and she was Yui's lost child.

The logical part of Kei's mind said that she was overreacting, that ultimately it meant nothing. And yet it could not deny that, given Yui's history towards children-especially her own-it stood to reason that the chances of her trying to overcompensate in the name of the lost child, and seeing those attempts (even subconsciously) as ways to symbolically regain that child, were astronomically high. Looking back at past interactions with this new knowledge, Kei couldn't help but see new facets she'd not noticed before.

Yui always seemed to favor Ichi a little bit more than Kei and the rest of the Ree. Granted most of said interaction was on Ichi's birthday, but further reflection brought the realizations that the Ree were never even given a single date _designating_ a birthday. At the time Kei never took much stock of it, her sisters less so, but suddenly that fact became quite grating. No matter how it was cut, Ichi would always be Yui's daughter.

And Yui's favorite.

It changed everything. Yui wasn't glad Kei had returned, merely that one of those dangerous Lilithian Nephelim was once again out of Kiel's hands. Yui didn't want _Kei_ as her lab assistant, she was simply living out a sick fantasy where her _real daughter_ came to work for her, as if Kei were simply some doll to be played with.

And at New Vegas, Yui _lied_ to her about being the favorite. Looked her square in the eye and _lied to her face_.

Kei would not've liked being rejected in that way, but at least the gnawing anxiety over it all would have been put to rest at last. But Yui didn't even respect her for _that_, and in fact just _lied to her_, playing up some other fantasy where things had gone differently.

Well, Kei Ayanami was _not_ some toy to play house with. She was her own individual, and if Yui couldn't get that, then she could suck it. And if Kei could help it, that woman would never, _ever_ get within a thousand miles of her ever again.

Because Yui lies, Yui _always_ lies.

Always.

It was with that realization that Kei noticed that she had stopped, and was hovering over the Alps, the Matterhorn's iconic peak just a few dozen feet to her right. She didn't really take this particular direction for a reason, she just needed to get away, _away_. As the threatening tears finally fell, the Rogue Ree couldn't help but to laugh. Instinctively, she had run to the _one_ place where she had _happy_ memories untainted by lies, a place where she was treated with something resembling respect, where her talents and unique quirks were praised, not mocked or needlessly feared or shunned. Where she was a prisoner, where _he_ was…

The girl couldn't help but give a bitter bark of a laugh, the tears flowing less now, but still building for another head. Making her decision, Kei pulled out her cell phone, and made the call.

It was picked up on the fifth ring.

_"I'm sorry but I'm in a meeting, could-"_

"Kaworu?" she choked out, cringing at how pathetic her voice sounded to her own ears.

_"Kei! Kei is that you? Are you all right? Where are you, what has happened? We lost contact with NERV after Zeruel burst through the armor layers."_

Kei swallowed, thankfully composing herself much better than earlier. "I'm fine. I'm at the Matterhorn. Its… I just… Can… Can I stay with you? Please?"

There was a pause. _"…Certainly Kei but, what's wrong? Is everyone at NERV all right?"_

Kei humphed at that. "Oh don't worry, _Yui_ and her precious little _dolls_ were fine when I left, and I think the tide was just turning against Zeruel."

_"Oh good! I'll admit that we were getting worried for a moment, which isn't good considering the age of some of those present. But why did you leave?"_

Kei's eye twitched. Typical: here she was, looking for a bit of sympathy, and he wasn't able to pick up that she really didn't want to talk about this right now.

From the silence he received, the Adamite Nephilim seemed to catch on. At last.

_"…I'll meet you at the door."_

With that Kei turned off the phone and started for the Lorenz Estate. Half-way there she ran full on into a thunderstorm, forcing herself to slow down, and by the time she reached the manor, it was coming down in sheets and she was soaking wet when she got to the door. Kei was about to open it herself when it was done for her.

Looking up, backlit by warm and inviting light stood Kaworu, grey hair glinting like a halo. Spontaneously, Kei leaped at the boy and embraced him.

"Kei? Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but why are you here?"

Kei looked up to her boyfriend's face, and finally let the dam fall. The glistening of her eyes became more pronounced, as though her eyes were liquefying, and her lower lip trembled.

"She lied Kaworu," she said with a small sniff. "Yui lied, about… about _everything_…" And with that, she held the boy tighter.

Right now, she _hated_ Yui, hated Yui, and NERV and her sisters and all of Tokyo-bloody-3. She hated it all for killing her wonder at the Real World, for taking her innocence and abusing it, for making her feeling like this, and above all for making her run crying to the arms of some man like the weak-willed heroine from some thinly-veiled misogynistic Harlequin dime novel.

But that didn't stop her from taking comfort in Kaworu's dainty arms, and relaxing in his rose and strawberry scent…

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Zeruel gave out a final proclamation as the battle, finally, ended:

**"Tabris… is F_ing gay!"**

Kaworu scratched the butter-coated knife across the thickly sliced piece of toast, the final item of his morning breakfast after his usual meal of three eggs, a Belgian waffle with pecans, porridge, cereal, a grapefruit and a glass each of milk and the juice du jour. Today was grape, from the vineyards of Normandy.

For the remainder of that night, he and Kei sat on the couch, he holding her as she sobbed herself inarticulate. All the while she tried to tell him what happened as he held on to her, rubbing small circles into her back. As the dawn broke she finally cried herself out, and Kaworu convinced her to take one of the rooms on the estate.

That was yesterday. She had spent the whole day asleep, and today it seemed like she would spend it in bed again.

Washing down the last of his meal, Kaworu meditated on what Kei had managed to tell him of what happened. The only bits that were even slightly intelligible were "Yui… Ichi… lied" and "Kiel… JUDAS," in other words all but meaningless gibberish for all the good it did. Still, looking through Kiel's files was _most_ enlightening in clearing things up.

The Adamite Nephilim stood up and walked to the ceiling high window, looking over the immaculate garden beyond in the morning light. To the entire world he looked like a King contemplating the universe, which held a grain of truth to it, but on a both larger and smaller scale at once.

He was interrupted from his ruminations as he heard the door open behind him, and the voice of one of the maids spoke softly across the distance.

"Mister Nagisa? Doctor Ikari is on the phone. She says that she is on her way here and wishes to speak with you about our guest."

"Yes… I assume that she does. Very well, send a chuffer to pick her up, and set up a table and tea set for Doctor Ikari and myself would you?"

* * *

An hour later saw Yui and Kaworu sitting at opposite sides of a small wrought-iron table on the patio across from the rose garden, the flowers in full bloom and Kaworu, as was his duty as a gentleman and as the host, pouring tea for his guest. Yui looked like she had seen better days. _M__uch_ better days. Her skin was pale, there were rings under her eyes, and she seemed to have been running on emotional fumes.

"Thank you." She said quietly, taking a sip as the Angel of Free Will took his seat. "Where is Kei?"

"Resting at the moment, she had a busy day the other day, so I think that it would be best that she relax for now. Wouldn't you agree?"

The scientist solemnly nodded. "Yes. Yes it is."

Kaworu took a sip from his own drink in silence. Let her make the first move. He knew _exactly_ what she was here for, and it would be insulting to her to assume that she didn't know that he knew.

"Can… Can I see her? When she wakes up that is."

Kaworu gently placed his cup on its saucer, looking down at the brown fluid within for a moment, considering the question.

"Yui... I know about what happened at NERV." The woman opposite him tensed at that. "Right now, I think it would be best if you and Kei were to spend time apart for a while. Let the nerves cool, _then_ we can try reconciliation. But even so, I think it should be _Kei_ that reaches out, considering her mood. You know how she is."

"I'm sorry Nagisa, but I _can't_ simply let this sit and fester. I _need_ to fix this and I need to do it _now!_"

"Yui." The tone was even and respectful, but the expression was authoritative. "You know who I am with SEELE, you know precisely _what _I am, and what I'm capable of if pressed. That was not a suggestion, it was not a request. As SEELE One, I am _ordering_ you to leave this be for now. _Please._"

The table was silent for an eternal second, when Yui steeled herself and stood up quickly. "That may be Nagisa, but Kei is _still_ my daughter, and I need to make this right, even if I have to lose everything to do it." And with that, she stalked towards the door, most likely to find whatever room Kei was staying in and force a scene that would not end pretty.

Kaworu didn't even turn from his tea.

"Does Commander Ikari know about the reality of Ichi's existence?"

Yui froze, hand on the door handle, knuckles bone white as silence reigned. In truth, Kaworu didn't know whether or not Yui had disclosed that information with her husband just yet, but if Kihl taught him anything, it was that vagueness often made up for a lack of information.

"I would recommend that you get your own house in order Doctor Ikari. Hopefully by the next meeting I can relay Kei's thoughts on this matter, and any terms that she wishes honored if she doesn't wish to come home. Outside of any official meeting of course… And other than you and myself, I think SEELE Six would make an excellent third-party witness to this, considering his relationship to the affected parties. But until then, like I said, I think it would be for the best if you simply left for now."

"…Yes. Of course." The defeat in her voice was palpable. "I will see you then Kaworu. Good-bye."

"Good-bye. I'll be sure to send Kei your regards."

"Thank you…" And with those parting words, Yui left the estate, and on the way home.

Kaworu put his tea down, and rubbed his forehead. This was a true _mess_.

"Is she gone?"

With surprise Kaworu looked up to one of the second floor windows, to see a bathrobe-clad Kei looking down, her hair dripping wet. The garment was about two sizes too big for her lithe frame, so it slipped off of one ivory shoulder, and the sleeves extending beyond the length of her arms. The overall effect was to bring to mind a young child getting ready for bed. And it was absolutely _adorable_.

_'Oh dear, I didn't realize this patio was underneath her bedroom.'_ "Yes, I believe so. How much did you hear?"

"All of it."

"I see. …What do you think?"

"It's all a ploy. I see no other reason for her to be here other than to ensure I don't do anything… rash."

"That's rather cynical of you my dear. Could it just be that she wants her daughter back?"

The lilithian nephilim simply rolled her eyes at that as she adjusted the slipping robe.

"Of _course_ she wants her daughter back Kaworu, that's why she let my unstable sisters and I live so long: so that she could pretend Rei Ikari isn't inside Unit-01."

Kaworu balked at that cold dismissal, but quickly replaced it with a smile. "Ahh… I see. Well, in any case it's good to see you up and about Kei. Are you feeling better?"

"I no longer feel like the world is ending if that's what you mean…"

"Well, there should be some clothes left over from you previous stay here in the dresser. It may be early, but I think some lunch at that little bistro you liked so much is in order."

She smiled at that. "Thanks Kaworu, that sounds lovely." And with that she turned and went back within.

Kaworu's gentle smile faded as she left his sight. He knew that, once convinced, you would be hard pressed to make Kei change her mind. So he wouldn't push, but he _would_ support her decisions in this, and be her friend and shoulder.

* * *

Another day, another boring meeting. Joy.

It had taken four days total to restore communications with NERV, and an additional one to check all the securities to ensure that there would be no way for anyone to take advantage of the mess to sneak in a bug onto the SEELE network.

_Finally_, they could have this emergency meeting so that the Old Men could be debriefed.

"And that concludes the last of the debriefing pertaining to the Zeruel battle." said SEELE 01, "Is there any additional business, questions or specific concerns? Other than the sub-committee's search for a suitable new SEELE 05 of course. No? Then this meeting is adjourned. Doctor Ikari? SEELE 06 and myself have additional matters we would like to discuss with you."

"What matters? This was not in the agenda" SEELE 07, ever the annoyingly nosy busy-body. Fortunately, Katsuhito was more than willing to step in.

"We merely wish to speak with Doctor Ikari on inconsequential matters of a private nature. Rest assured that they have nothing to do with our main goals."

Yui knew _precisely_ just what the "private matters" were. This was the moment she had been hoping for, and dreading, for the past three days. "Yes sir. I'm free."

"Excellent."

The remaining monoliths faded away, with SEELE 07 being the last after a moment's hesitation. Then, SEELE's 01 and 06 winked out and were instantly replaced with the shapes of Kaworu Nagisa and Katsuhito Ikari, the former at Lorenz' desk and the latter in blue pajamas and sitting in bed. At the looks he received from both his new associate and his daughter, the Elder Ikari sighed.

"My joints have been giving me problems lately, and my doctor _insisted_ that I get bed rest until further notice. But that is neither here nor there."

"Ahem, certainly," said Kaworu, cutting off that train of thought, "now then Yui, about your daughter…"

"Yes? Has she..."

Kei's image joined the simulation, clad in the kind of rigidly formal clothing one might wear to a funeral. That was probably a bad sign; something made worse by the utterly rigid mask her expression was set in.

"Professor Ikari," she said, with a curt nod to her grandfather. "Doctor Ikari," did not get the same gesture.

"Kei... I need to talk, I can explain..."

"I am sure that you have had time to come up with an explanation," Kei said, in a monotone. "However, I am quite beyond caring. I requested this meeting because I wished to establish ground rules for any future interactions between myself and NERV-linked individuals."

"You don't need to do this! I... I know I've been hiding the truth sometimes, but I... I didn't realise..." Yui blinked, and swallowed. "Please don't! Everyone is missing you, and..."

"I am glad my sisters are missing me," the girl stated. "Because if they were not missing, they would be hitting, and I have no intentions of letting that happen."

Internally, Yui winced. They were having to keep Siyon sedated to prevent her from giving chase, and the products of the Reetrix had definitely taken a turn for the worse. "That's not true..." she began.

"Liar." The word was bullet-like. "I know them." She cleared her throat. "Let us be clear here. I don't want to see you again. I am realistic enough to acknowledge that this cannot be done; hence, any meetings shall be done over secure communication-link, and are to remain purely official in content, tone, and capacity. Any breach in those conditions will result in disconnection. The same level of contact will be extended to others, such as your genetic son, with the exception of what you would call 'my sisters', but who are more accurately described as 'other examples of the Ayanami geneline'." Her eyes narrowed slightly, the first sign of motion in that pale face. "I know that any meeting between us will likely result in at least one death, and if they come _en masse_, it will be mine. That is not a desired outcome, from my point of view," she said flatly.

"You can't just treat them all like they're Siyon," Yui errupted.

"Can't I?"

"You _shouldn't_!" her mother said, wringing her hands in front of her. "You can't just cut yourself off from your sisters, or act like Kiko is Siyon, or..."

"You do not want to get started on 'shouldn't' or 'can't' with me, Dr Ikari," Kei said, flatly. "I don't want them anywhere near me. I don't want to hear a stupid elongated 'hey' greeting ever again." She blinked. "Fortunately, you already have plenty of experience keeping your little dolls locked up in your Tokyo-3 playhouse, so an agreement which keeps us all safe should not inconvenience you in any way. I would hate to be an inconvenience."

"That passive-aggressive tone isn't helping either of us," Yui retorted, something snapping inside from being lectured by that too-familiar face in that too-familiar voice. She blinked hard, balling her fists. "Please... I'm _begging_, don't do this. Don't run away like this, from everyone, from _me_..."

"You are not my mother," Kei said, the blank mask of her face unchanging. "I do not have a mother. What you are is one of the genetic donors involved in my construction, and a non-consensual one at that. I believe the recent events have made the difference eminently clear." She nodded to Professor Ikari. "Thank you for witnessing this... unpleasantness," she said, before she turned back to stare blankly at her tear-stained mother. "I believe I have made my points, so there is no point in me being here any more. We can agree the fine points by email, if you will consent to be properly business-like about the whole matter."

"Kei! No! I'm sorry!"

The blue-haired girl had already disconnected.

Anyone who knew the pair of them would have been entirely unsurprised to know that, that night, there was sobbing come from two separate bedrooms, on the other side of the world from each other.

**THE BEGINNING...**

Author's Note: I'd like to thank Earth Scorpion (the author of the Aeon Natum Engel/Aeon Entelechy Evangelion stories here on FF Net) for revising the last scene here. The original version I posted was… not exactly well received, and upon reflection was quite poorly executed.

When my last _Nobody Dies _apocrypha work, _Everybody Dies_ was canonized in chapter 68, and the fallout being shown theirin and afterward, it started a chain of thought events in my mind of how this might affect things down the road. After some thought, it became obvious: Kei may in fact run away, her relationship with NERV, the Ree and _especially_ with Yui would be shattered. I then proposed on the Space Battles thread a possible future that in retrospect bares some similarity to Gregg's other fic _Walking In The Shadow Of Dreams_, only it's Kei who's disowned herself from NERV and not Asuka, and would in fact focus on her daughter with Kaworu.

The idea was well recieved, and Earth Scorpian has even written a few cutsie snippets based on the child's early life, that he may or may not post here. I still intend to do the idea of "Kei's daughter Learns Mommy's Dark Past," but I felt that it would be best if I did the backstory for this AU, the point in which this AU diverges from ND Canon. This little number.


	2. PostDivergence

**Post-Divergence**

**Three Days Post-Divergence**

"So this is all that remains of the Angel of Might."

"Indeed it is."

"…You know, it's rather anti-climactic."

**"Just you wait you harlot! As soon as I regain my body I will show **_**you**_** why they call me Mighty!"**

"Oh silly Zeruel, you'll have to regrow your core first! And without some sort of outside assistance I don't see that happening for quite a few Eons!"

"You are enjoying this role-reversal, aren't you?"

"Why yes. How did you know?"

**"I. Hate. Both of you."**

**One Week Post-Divergence**

After the meeting that severed Kei from Tokyo-3, the girl locked herself in her room. And other than taking a shower, Kaworu never left her door, and heard the sobs she tried to hide, with each hiccup, each tear, his heart ached. After much soul searching, the Angel of Free Will reached an absolute conclusion that could no longer be ignored:

Weeks ago, the man arranged for Annette, the girl who he saw as one of his own siblings, to be kidnapped, to show "who was in charge."

The events under New Vegas that culminated in Tokyo-3 were both caused this man. And the latter especially caused great pain for Kei that was unneeded, and uncalled for.

That was two strikes…

The thought of what a third could bring about terrified him. Father figure or no, the man could no longer be allowed to wreak havoc on him and his loved ones. He had already crossed the line against harming family with Iruel. What was one more?

_"Well my boy, you're visiting awfully late."_

"I know quite well that you are behind the most recent battalions of sorrows for NERV, _especially Kei's Kihl."_

_"And just what are you planning to do about it?"_

"Simple. What does one do with a rabid dog?"

_"Are you sure you wish to go through with that thought? You know I have unseen gears running in my scenario that only I can know of."_

"We will manage."

* * *

He half expected security measures to activate, for him to stop himself, or any other events to prevent the pillow from reaching the man's face. But nothing did, the ancient clawed hand grasping his wrist doing absolutely nothing. He expected some sort of emotion attached to the event, and yet there was nothing.

Not nothing as in Apathy, simply a lack of emotion resulting from an excess of emotions that with time would certainly become settled and slam him in the face with bricks.

Kei looked surprised when Kaworu walked out of Lorenz's door. To be honest, he was surprised to see her too. Not about her motives, but this soon after he showed her the man's state.

So much could have been said in that hallway at one in the morning, so much could have been done, but all Kaworu did was embrace his girlfriend, and whisper, or so softly, in her ear, "let's get some sleep," and nothing more was said of the event.

**Some weeks Post-Divergence**

The newspaper headlines were already shifting, from joy over what was believed to be the end of the Angel War, to fears over the possible actions that NERV might take. It was officially a UN agency, but it had assets and technology unheard of by most world governments. And if this really was the end of the Angels and the Cherubim, then... then what? What would it do now? Would it simply consent to be dismantled, when it already ruled Tokyo-3 as a private duchy? Yes, people were scared.

And only some of the fears were manufactured by SEELE's agitators.

Kaworu Nagisa nursed a cup of black coffee, eyes still scanning over the computer screen. He had only just got out of a SEELE meeting, where the ponderous cogs of the organisation had... well, jammed, as influences clashed against each other. There were things going in the background, too, pernicious ploys that stunk of the man who had been the closest thing he had to a father.

He massaged his brow, as Kei stepped in, clad in a dressing gown, albeit one which wasn't so adorably, flesh-revealingly large.

"Don't get your hopes up; I've got pajamas on underneath," she said, to his querying glance. "It's cold in Germany, you know." She tilted her head. "How are things proceeding?"

"Poorly," Kaworu admitted. "We need something paradigm breaking. I'm still playing in Kihl's footprints, much as I hate to admit it. He's got all kinds of plans activating, and I can't act to stop them all. I can't even _see_ them all."

"Paradigm-breaking?" Kei said, in an innocuous tone of voice. And that meant that she was guilty, the boy knew, because she _never_ sounded like that. …Normally.

"You have a plan." The words were flat.

"Not me," Kei admitted, running one hand through her blue hair. "You remember, back in Magi 11, the upload-derived AIs that utilized some of your neural data?"

Kaworu smiled faintly, despite the stress. "Yes."

"Well, there were multiple-breakouts after I was removed. It seems that SEELE... _mistreated_ at least some of them, trying to figure out how they worked. Although I think my grandfather has his hands on most of them now, because... well, he's like that." She shook her head. "Irrelevant. The fact is, there were breakouts, and they re-established contact with me. And they have a plan."

"What kind of plan?" Kaworu narrowed his eyes. "Does it involve putting you in charge of the world?" he asked, suspiciously. He knew Kei.

"Well... technically, no," she admitted. "I think they modified it from another scheme to do so, but, no. It basically involves holding human civilization hostage. And, yes, I know the people who are playing for Instrumentality don't care about that, but they're not the ones making the decisions most of the time. If we can put the rest of the world in enough danger, we can stop it, because the generals and the politicians who are only doing it because they think NERV is a threat will pull back. We just need to calm things down enough to let calmer heads prevail." Her eyes were cold, as she added, "And if Dr Ikari and the others will not take their chances... well, I will have done all I can. Who knows, she might even be forced to tell the _truth_ for once in her life."

The roll of her eyes hinted at just how likely she thought _that _possibility was.

"But that's great!" the boy said, letting out a sigh of relief, and running both hands through his grey hair. He was deliberately ignoring the bitterness. "We can stop this destructive mess. Come on! We need to get everything set up."

Her tone was emotionless, even cold. "No, Kaworu. I will not do that."

"But..." he recoiled, as if slapped, the sense of betrayal a sinking feeling in his gut. "You... idea... stop it."

"I will not do it," she continued, in the same tone, "because I have already done it." And that was when a sly smile crept onto her face. "I did it three hours and thirty five minutes ago, in fact," she added.

"... what?"

"Children. A status update, if you will."

"_Certainly, Mother,_ stated an electronic chorus of voices. "_Control has been achieved over global civilian telecommunications networks. This control has been leveraged to obtain access to all international financial networks. Killswitches have been installed to allow their destruction at your whim, Mother. We have direct links open with all major journalistic organizations, and are waiting your orders to begin briefing them. The computer of the father-entity has been used as a backdoor to SEELE closed networks. The following Magi have been compromised; 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. The remaining ones have taken themselves off the networks to prevent intrusion, with the exception of the ones physically located in Tokyo-3, which were able to hold us off, and began a counter-attack. We have cut telecommunications links to Japan; although there are ways to bypass it, the bandwidth constraints are such that, as of ten minutes and fifty three seconds ago, there is no known computational centre that can contest our global domination._"

Kaworu worked his jaw, silently. "What?" he eventually managed. "You..." he began to giggle, as the tension left the air. "Wh-why have you been watching me stress over this when you knew this was already resolved?"

"Because it was amusing," Kei said, with a smirk, before her expression became serious again. "No, that's not actually it," she admitted. "There are things not under my control; "black" military satellites, missile submarines, the strategic N2 arsenal... you know, very dangerous and destructive things. I've been waiting while negotiations were conducted with world powers." She sighed. "I'm basically holding the civilian world as a hostage at the moment, and hoping that no-one will be stupid enough to begin military actions, and call my bluff, because if SEELE can secure an N2-launch, then I _will not_ be able to do anything." She shook her head. "It was enough trouble denying them the Luna mass driver. I've currently got that pointed at North Korea, because I know that it exists 'off the grid' for a reason; it's the secure contingency launch point. But I can't fire, because that _will_ activate warning systems, and cause the other launches I really don't want."

She paused, and took a breath.

"That reminds me. You should be getting a call from my..." the boy's phone began to ring "... grandfather." She smirked. "Go ahead, answer."

The grey-haired boy glanced at her. "Hello?" he said.

"Nagisa." Professor Ikari's voice was taut. "It's an emergency. I think that there's some kind of hostile intelligence on the 'Net. It's already compromised all the civilian networks, and it's targeting the military now. The JSSDF is in chaos,"

* * *

In the Sea of Japan, at that very moment, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Destroyer Murasame-Class _Samidare_, the last of her class to be commissioned before Second Impact, was on patrol.

'Was' being the key term, because minutes ago, the technicians in charge of observing the Radar, weapons sensors and even the weather and navigations screens reported their screens going totally blank and unresponsive. Moments afterwards the rudders made a forty-five degree turn, redirecting the vessel from her intended path, and they were unable to inform Command, because the radios were dead. Unbeknownst to the _Samidare_ and her crew, but similar incidents were happening throughout not just the Navy, but the whole military, and planes were forced down, bases darkened and the whole fleet returning to their home ports, just like with every armed force on the planet.

* * *

"…the Americans have lost control of all their drone craft,"

* * *

The General was mad, but also confused. Half an hour ago all the Predator Drones at Creech Air Force Base took off without orders, and for now were circling overhead for no discernable reason. The first generations of these planes required a fuel engine with an endurance of up to twenty-four hours. These new craft had a fully electronic system, and could stay up for up to a month if the Brass wanted them to.

"All right, tell me corporal," he said to the man beside him, "is it or is it not procedures to drain or remove the batteries from those things when not in use? And if so, who was in charge of that so that I can court-martial him?"

* * *

"And the Russians are refusing to move at all. It's fast and it's smart and we've only just caught what it's been doing, when we lost all contact with Luna."

Kei's smile grew wider. "It's not a singular intelligence, Grandfather," she stated, leaning forwards to speak into the phone. "Just at a random guess, there are between seventy and one hundred and seventy five entities, working in perfect co-ordination in small groups of up to twelve, towards a singular goal. They are utilizing methods honed through rigorous training which merely built upon pre-existing aptitude derived from their nature as upload-derived AIs. Moreover, they are not Angelic, and indeed are acting to avert Third Impact."

There was silence at the other end of the line.

"Did I mention that, from a certain point of view, they are your great-grandchildren?" Kei added, slyly.

Needless to say, Katsuhito (being a man of SCIENCE and eagerly awaiting the Singularity) was most pleased.

**Seven Months Post-Divergence**

Kei and Kaworu were enjoying their cruise, the Caribbean sun shining down on their lounging bodies from the sapphire sky.

"Are you enjoying yourself my dear?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Kei? Is something wrong? You seem distracted."

"Hmm? Or it's nothing. I'm just still half-expecting one of my sisters to show up."

"Oh Kei, you made it quite clear that everyone was to steer clear of you. Yui strikes me as the type to honor that."

Kei simply grumbled and rolled onto her side.

Kaworu frowned at this show of melancholy and paranoia. She had been like this ever since that final face-to-face confrontation with her mother. Fortunately it seemed to have been calming down, but there were times when he caught her staring at the horizon, as if waiting for Death from the Heavens.

**One year, one month Post-Divergence**

Kaworu held his bleeding nose as he stabilized the wound as it healed from Kei's AT-Field enhanced punch.

True, the sound of the shower running should've hinted that his appearance might have been…inappropriate, but from Kei's cry from behind the door (in actuality, she had slipped on the wet floor) called out to the nephilim's sense of Chivalrous Duty.

But in spite of his current pain and slight emotions of embarrassment, Kaworu's thoughts on the matter of learning about Kei's more intimate state could be summed up it two words:

"Worth it."

**Two years post-Divergence**

The dinner was exceptional tonight, certainly one of 07-Em-G3's best accomplishments yet. The wine was a very rare, and much sought after vintage. The candle-light made the lovely young woman across from him all the more so.

"Marry me?" It was meant as a question, but was toned as a suggestion.

Off to the side, 03-Ef C7, dressed in a maid's uniform, and 04-Em C7 clad in a butler's attire, glanced at each other and nodded imperceptibly, and 04-Em C7 unobtrusively left the room.

Kei looked up from her meal in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Indeed. We're emotionally compatible, highly intelligent and share the same goals. Furthermore, by merging our assets under a single name, we could accomplish a great deal more, and above all, we could reproduce without social outcry. I can't think of a single reason _not_ to get married."

Kei considered this. "True, but what about Love?"

"Kei darling, I believe that issue has been long resolved. Or have you forgotten our discussion underneath New Vegas?" He answered with a smile, 04-Em C7 returning with a covered platter. Removing the lid, he offered his mother a small velvet box. "I believe tradition dictates that I offer a trinket, to show my honesty. I designed it myself."

Taking the box, Kei opened it, gasping in surprise at the ring within. It was constructed of two braided bands of metal, one of twenty-four caret gold, the other of platinum, and in the center, on a small Mother-of-Pearl dish, sat four diamonds in a circle.

"Oh Kaworu," she gasped as she placed the ring on her finger, "it's lovely. But how did you get this without my kno-" she looked towards the Avatar bodies of the two Keiworu in the room. " …You and your siblings were involved, weren't you?"

The two bowed. "We apologize for any deception mother." Said 04-Em C7.

"It's just that the father-entity has always made you so happy, and you two have always gotten along so well." explained his batch-sister.

Kei looked between the two Keiworu and Kaworu a few times before shrugging, "Oh very well, you've talked me into it. Proposal accepted. Tomorrow morning we'll go down to the legal offices to make the appropriate arrangements first thing."

"Oh? You don't wish to have some sort of ceremony?"

"Darling even if I did it would be a very small affair."

"Oh? You don't even want Katsuhito there?"

Kei stroked her chin, she'd not considered that. "Hmmm… You're right, Grandfather _would_ wish to bear witness." She turned to the Keiworu, "Have someone contact Grandfather, and arrange a time for him to come over."

"Yes mother."

And with that, Kei and Kaworu raised their glasses and drank.

**Three years, nine months Post-Divergence**

"Kei, did you really need to cut off _all_ trade with the _entire_ Middle East?"

"Considering that all the turmoil that seems to be non-stop over there, it seems like the best way to protect our assets is to simply not have them over there at all until the governments can learn to play nice and get control of their populations."

"And what if they don't? Kei, as Second Impact showed Society is only nine meals away from total Anarchy!"

"Oh well. Oil is such a backwards, inefficient power source, especially with so many alternatives that are available."

**Three years, nine months two weeks and a day Post-Divergence**

"Kei? The Norwegian Nobel Committee would like to talk with you about your work with Middle Eastern politics."

**Four years, two months Post-Divergence**

It was a full moon out tonight, the air was cool and crisp, but hardly unbearable, the gentle breeze fluttering the drapes framing the open window, the forms of the Husband and Wife spooned up against each other under the blankets.

Kei should have been tired, but she was wide awake, her mind playing over a single concept that would not leave her be as her thumb stroked the hand Kaworu had draped over her. The conceptual image of a miniature her (or of her husband) running about the Estate, of picnic lunches in the park, of school projects and plays and of so many other things.

"Kaworu?"

"Mmm…?"

"I want a **baby**."

"Mm-mmm…. Hmm?"

**Five Years, three months Post-Divergence**

Yet another negative test hit the trash been. How many was this? Twelve? Heavens, a full _year_ and not even a single positive!

Granted these things were a matter of proper timing and that was assuming all the sperm were able to make it as far as the fallopian tubes, without even bringing up the idea that they might not even be cross-compatible. But still, all the logic in the world could not squash a single little worming squiggle of a primal thought…

Was it her?

**Five Years, eight months Post-Divergence**

"Maybe we should consider fertility drugs?"

"Considering our unique physiology, would that be wise?"

"Hmmm… You're probably right. For all we know they could either do nothing or make me hyper-fertile." For various reasons, the idea of having octuplets was… distasteful for the woman.

"Oh Kei," Kaworu said, giving the other nephilim a neck massage, "as I understand, the idea of unprotected sex _always_ resulting in children as perpetuated by the media is not entirely accurate. Evidently, it's not entirely unusual for perfectly healthy and fertile couples to go on for months or even _years_ without a pregnancy."

"Weren't you the one who tried to seduce my sister _three times_ with the intent for children?"

"True, but remember: I was young, horny and male."

"Oh so you're not male anymore?" she interjected good-naturedly. "Maybe _that's_ our problem."

"Thank you Zeruel. As I was saying, all this stress this is causing you isn't healthy, and is in fact counter-productive."

He was right. Stress on the body _did_ have a documented tendency to suppress fertility. And for all Kei knew, she could be subconsciously deploying her AT-Field to prevent fertilization. For whatever reason.

Kei looked Kaoru in the eye for a moment before giving a sigh "Very well, how about we both just relax for now, and if we get a baby, fine. What do you say?"

**Six years, three months Post-Divergence**

For reasons that had never been fully explained, for about twelve minutes, the MAGI of NERV-1 registered activity in Terminal Dogma, originating from Lilith. From the data, it would seem that, had anyone been in the "Whumpa Room" with the source of terrestrial life, they would have heard what might seem to be joyous giggling, interspersed with cries about "**BABIES**" and being 'oh so proud'.

**Six Years, three months three weeks and six days Post-Divergence**

"Kei? Where have you been all day?"

"Oh, at the doctor's office."

Kaworu stood up and hurried over to his wife. "Darling are you all right?"

"Well, you know how for the past week I've just had these odd feelings that there's someone around all the time? Well, over the past few days I started feeling warmer than usual in the morning, and a bit nauseous as well. So I went down to get checked out."

The call about the blood work came in late the next day. They had started with the most likely causes that they knew of (considering the patient) and worked their way down. Pregnancy wasn't the _last_ possibility on the list. But it was hardly the first.

Either way, Kei was thrilled, and Kaworu needed to tell the family.

**"Well well Tabris,"** the remaining portion of Zeruel's core said, **"looks like you're not gay after all. …You're Bi, you sick bastard. Don't even have the balls to choose one way or the other."**

**Six Years, seven months Post-Divergence**

SEELE had been repurposed for the Post-Angel War world (it was a messy business however, sense not all of those on the council were happy about avoiding their own version of Third Impact and its aftermath), Kei and her children may run the world market, but these twelve men indirectly set the course for its politics.

Kaworu was sometimes weary over these meetings, but Katsuhito had been of great assistance in ensuring that he didn't just snap and totally wail on the rest of the council, and had in fact been a priceless ally at times. Which was why the two often brought down the monoliths and "shot the breeze" after many of these meetings.

"I'm telling you Kaworu, that doctor hates me. 'You shouldn't eat that, it'll give you gas,' 'Oh professor Ikari you shouldn't go on so many bloody trips you'll fall and break a hip.' And now he wants me to have a live-in housekeeper! I swear he's worse than my Obsessive-Compulsive mother, rest her soul. I'm only seventy-five for heaven's sake."

"Well if you're so worked up and worried about some stranger living in your house," the nephilim answered as he worked on his computer, "why not have one of the children take over? I'm certain Kei wouldn't mind, and they _adore_ you."

"Oh it's not the maid I'm ornery about so much as what it represents: Age, the falling of Life's sun. Oh if only that fool Rommel hadn't burned all the papers the Illuminati had on those Rejuvenation Drugs. Or better yet, if Cromwell had kept his bloody sword in the scabbard during those negotiations in Ireland like he was told." With a sigh, Ikari shook his head when he noticed Kaworu's split attentions. "What are you working on there?"

"Hmm? Oh it's nothing, just ordering some groceries. Kei's given me a list. Let's see…" he picked up a sheet of paper from off-hologram, "Blue cheese, bacon, pomegranate jam, pig's feet, buttermilk and garlic, among other things."

Katsuhito blanched at that. "Ah, finally getting those cravings I see?"

"No not yet. These are just her usual snacks. Though I'll admit that the bacon and jam are new…"

**Six Years, nine months Post-Divergence**

It was a quiet night in the Master Suite, with Kei and her expanding belly pressed against Kaworu's back. They were the very model of bliss while in slumber, with the joys of parenthood right around the-

_THUMP!_

With a cry, Kaworu was flung from the bed, pressing a hand to the small of his back. Looking back, he saw Kei, still asleep, clasping in front of her until grabbing his pillow and began snuggling up with it.

_THUMP!_

_There!_ It was very slight, but it was noticeable if you looked at the right place at the right time: A tiny little foot, with five itty-bitty toes, punched out from Kei's stomach. The baby was kicking.

…It was three in the morning. There was no _way_ he was dealing with this mess now. To the couch!

**Six Years, eleven months Post-Divergence**

It had been three months since Kei last saw her feet whilst standing up, and eight months since Tabrim sperm number 953,409,444 merged with Keiim ovum number one-hundred twenty(-ish), which naturally could only mean one thing: The kicking in of that Nesting instinct.

And so Kei stood in what she had deemed as the baby's room, with a fried turkey in hand (not a wing or a leg, the whole twenty-pound bird), directing what had to go where, then change her mind twenty minutes later, and was constantly changing her mind on wall paint colors, drape patterns and furniture designs, asking for second opinions and third opinions and completely ignoring them all the while.

Kaworu never wanted to enter that room with the intent of decorating ever again. And while the Keiworu loved their mother dearly, they had to side with the Father-entity on this one.

**Seven Years Post-Divergence**

When Kei's water finally broke, a woman could have no better medical service available. Trouble is, a Nephilim had never been born the way Lilim normally were before, especially one that was a mix of both White Seed and Black Seed derived organisms. Such a union was _never_ intended by their creators, and such a thought would have been equal to the most horrifying creations of Lovecraft to their minds.

But it happened anyway, and now three doctors and a midwife were committed, babbling on about tentacles, squamus tissues, multiple eyes and infant cries that were and yet should not be.

But she was here. A beautiful baby girl, at forty-five point nine centimeters long, and weighing in at three kilograms, she was a happy, sleepy baby (even if her cries post-extraction were something out of a horror movie, to say nothing of the shape shifting after the doctor spanked her to _make_ those cries).

"Oh Kaworu… Isn't she beautiful?" Kei asked and the child nursed, her blue-and-grey hair shimmering almost iridescently in the dimmed lights.

"Oh yes, just like her mother…"

There was a respectful clearing of a throat at the private suite's door, where there stood a nervous-looking nurse with a clipboard.

"Excuse me, Mister and Misses Nagisa? Sorry to bother you and your… child, but we still need you to fill out the baby's name."

"Oh yes, thank you madam. I'll get this." Kaworu said and he walked over and took the forms and pen from the girl and filled out the name Kei and he discussed at length.

_Yomiko Leliel Nagisa_

* * *

A/N: Once more, thanks again to EarthScorpian for volunteering his talents in revising one of the snippets, even though he didn't need to. However, I still liked my original version, so I added a couple lines from it in as well, and also twicked Scorpian's original. The original version can be found on my LiveJournal page (the name is k9thefirst1), which also includes a link to ES' original revision post.

Also! Now that this is completed, I can get started on the _real_ AU! YAY! ^_^


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